USDA: Storm to Produce Wet Snow in the Midwest, Rain in the South

USDA's Joint Ag Weather Facilitysays on the Plains, a developing storm over southwestern Kansas is producing light precipitation. "A few snow showers dot the northern Plains, while a little bit of light rain is falling on the central and southern Plains," USDA reports.

In the West, USDA says a band of rain and snow stretches from the northern Great Basin into California's Central Valley. "The rain and snow showers are falling in some of the driest areas of the West, but much more precipitation is needed to revive pastures and improve spring and summer water-supply prospects," USDA explains. Cool, dry weather prevails elsewhere, except for some light snow in the southern Rockies, according to USDA.

In the Corn Belt, USDA saysmild, mostly dry weather prevails, although light precipitation is encroaching on the region from the south and west.

In the South, warm, dry weather favors the growth of pastures and winter grains, except where soil moisture is inadequate to support normal development, USDA says. "Today's high temperatures will exceed 80°F in southern portions of Texas and Florida," USDA adds. But it says drought continues to intensify in the southern Atlantic region.

In its outlook, USDA says a storm system currently over the central Plains will drift northeastward, reaching the Great Lakes region on Thursday. "The storm will produce some wet snow in the Midwest and rain across the South and East," USDA explains. Meanwhile, USDA says a second storm will begin to take shape toward week's end along the Gulf Coast. "Rainfall associated with the second storm may provide drought relief from the Gulf Coast region into parts of the Southeast," USDA reports. However, there is uncertainty in the Mid-Atlantic region with respect to the storm's eventual impacts, which could include rain and snow, according to USDA.